THE 2008 B-UHS LACROSSE BUCCANEERS — First row, from left: Jake Moss, Zach Neff, Matt Floyd, Dakota Davis, Craig Mason, Ian Cronin, Chris Bickel, Jim Bob Howes and Ryan Lockwood. Second row: Nathan Gillespie, Jonah Bender, John Ward, Nathan Lynch, Matt Manspeaker, Dalton Suder, Marshall Newbrough, Ben Workman, Andrew Russell and Ryan McAtee. Third row: Vincent Nolte, Joe Schiff, Emerson Talbott, David Norman, Jason Huffman, Alex Barger, Evan Barnette, Joey Houston, Tyler Hawkins, Roland Sink and head coach Matt Gillespie. Not pictured: T.J. Shaw. Submitted photo

TENNERTON — Every first-year athletic program expects to have their share of bumps in the road, and the Buckhannon-Upshur Buccaneer lacrosse team was no exception to that rule.

But the lacrosse Bucs, who finished with a record of 1-7, have found plenty of positives to draw from their inaugural season. For the players and their first-year coach, the season was a learning experience — and it was just plain fun.

“How well the kids played far exceeded my expectations,” head coach Matt Gillespie stated. “Other coaches had reminisced with me about their first-year experiences and I expected our season to be along that line. But we never got shut out, we scored a goal in every game we played.”

Of the 22 goals the Bucs scored on the season, senior Dakota Davis chipped in nearly one-third of those markers. Davis finished the season with a team-high seven goals, while Ian Cronin trailed close behind with four tallies. Ryan Lockwood and Jake Moss both chipped in three goals and five other B-U players added a goal apiece.

Experience was not on the side of the Bucs, who played a slate of games against more-established programs, but Gillespie believes that his squad embraced the challenge of being the first B-U lacrosse team to take to the field.

“I think they really enjoyed being part of a first-year thing,” he said. “I thought we far exceeded our goals and I was pleased with how hard the kids played.”

The Bucs had to start virtually from scratch, as the team learned the game’s most basic elements and worked their way up. Before they played their season opener against Bridgeport, the Bucs hosted the University Hawks in a pre-season scrimmage, where they received a helping hand from veteran University lacrosse coach Jeff Dreisbach.

While the Bucs got a taste of the level of competition they would soon face, they also were able to participate in stick-handling drills alongside their soon-to-be opponents and get some hands-on instruction from Dreisbach.

“One thing that really surprised me was the camaraderie that lacrosse seems to enjoy,” Gillespie said. “Other coaches came over and talked to our kids and made it a very positive atmosphere. Coach Dreisbach even loaned us 16 helmets to get the program going.”

The difference in experience was clear-cut when the Bucs faced off against Morgantown and University, both of whom have long-standing high school lacrosse programs and even sport middle school squads. But the Bucs were able to close the gap with their athleticism, which was honed from years of experience playing other sports.

“We were as athletic as most of the teams we played and the kids already had that athletic discipline, so they were willing to stay after practice and work on their stick skills,” Gillespie stated. “I found the soccer players made good midfielders because they’re used to the running. The football players made good defenders because they’re used to all the hitting. We put the wrestlers on faceoffs because they’re used to that physical contact in close. We had one basketball player [senior Chris Bickel] and he had a good understanding of how an offense is run. They all brought their own skills.”

The Bucs were able to gauge the strength of their first-year team against another newcomer to the lacrosse game, the Bridgeport Indians. The Bucs squared off with Bridgeport twice and split the season series, with each side winning a low-scoring game. In the season opener, Bridgeport took a 3-1 decision, but the Bucs avenged that loss in the rematch on April 16, holding on for a 3-2 win.

“We played right with [Bridgeport] in the first game,” Gillespie said. “We had some opening-game jitters, but we shut them out in the second half.”

“We improved the next game. I remember we led 3-1, but Bridgeport came back and scored and I thought, ‘Oh no.’ But we held on to win. I remember the guys were so excited in the locker room after the game and were just so excited to be a part of the first team.”

Against another young program, the second-year St. Albans Red Dragons, the Bucs again went down to the wire, before falling by just one goal. Trailing 8-4 heading into the fourth quarter of their penultimate game of the season, the Bucs mounted one last comeback attempt. Davis, Joe Schiff and Lockwood all scored fourth-quarter goals and goalie Alex Barger shut out St. Albans in the final period.

Though the Bucs were edged 8-7, Gillespie indicated that the road outing was another sign of his team’s progression. In defeat, Davis recorded a season-high four-goal game.

“We worked on developing skills the whole season and learning to play the game too,” Gillespie said. “Their understanding of the game improved the most. You could see from game to game how their understanding improved and how their moving and passing improved.”

One of the Bucs’ biggest highlights came in their debut game against Bridgeport, as Jake Moss scored the first-ever B-U varsity goal, but another memory stands out to Gillespie as one of his favorites. In their road date at Fairmont Senior, senior Jason Huffman delivered one bone-crushing hit which stood out above the rest.

“The Fairmont Senior player happened to be picking up the ball and Huffy came out him full speed,” Gillespie remarked. “It was one of the hardest hits I’ve ever seen in the game of lacrosse.”

Though the B-U lacrosse squad will lose seven seniors from their 2008 squad to graduation, Gillespie expects the remainder of his Bucs to return in 2009. With a year of experience under their belts, and an entire offseason to sharpen their skills, the Bucs should continue to improve in this ever-growing sport.



The Bucs’ 2008 game results and season statistics:



GAME RESULTS

(Record 1-7-0)

Bridgeport 3, Buckhannon-Upshur 1

Fairmont Senior 13, Buckhannon-Upshur 2

Buckhannon-Upshur 3, Bridgeport 2

University 15, Buckhannon-Upshur 3

Wheeling Central 16, Buckhannon-Upshur 1

Fairmont Senior 11, Buckhannon-Upshur 2

St. Albans 8, Buckhannon-Upshur 7

Morgantown 18, Buckhannon-Upshur 3



Scoring — Buckhannon-Upshur 22, Opponents 86.

Faceoffs won — Buckhannon-Upshur 46, Opponents 63.

Goals scored — Dakota Davis 7, Ian Cronin 4, Ryan Lockwood 3, Jake Moss 3, Evan Barnette, Chris Bickel 1, Craig Mason 1, Andy Russell, Joe Schiff 1.

Goalie saves — Alex Barger 83, Ryan McAtee 3.

Loose balls controlled — Dakota Davis 52, Chris Bickel 27, Jim Bob Howes 27, Craig Mason 26, Marshal Newbrough 26, John Ward 23, Andy Russell 21, Ryan Lockwood 17, Jake Moss 17, Zach Neff 16, Ian Cronin 14, Evan Barnette 13, Matt Manspeaker 7, Tyler Hawkins 6, Jason Huffman 6, Joe Schiff 6, Matt Floyd 4, Dalton Suder 4, Nathan Gillespie 3. Team total: 315.